Reddit says Google’s AI Mode sends it almost no traffic: what it means for every website
Reddit lost more than one million Google visits a week in October, and its CEO says Google's AI Mode 'does not drive traffic.' Here's what happened, why it matters for all websites, and how site owners can adapt.
For years, millions of people found Reddit by searching on Google. Now that’s changing fast. Reddit says its traffic from Google search dropped by more than one million visits per week in October, and its CEO is blaming Google’s AI-powered search.
What Reddit said
When Reddit reported its quarterly results on October 29, 2026, CEO Steve Huffman said Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode are sending far fewer people to Reddit. His blunt summary:
“AI Mode does not drive traffic. Not for us, and not to anybody as far as I know.”
The numbers
- Google referrals: down more than 1 million per week on average in October
- US daily users: down 2% to about 50.7 million, the first US decline since Reddit went public in 2024
- International users: up 24% to 79.6 million
- Revenue: actually strong, up 53% to $895 million
- Stock: fell sharply after the report, as investors worried about future growth
Why is this happening?
When you search on Google today, you often see an AI-written answer at the top (AI Overviews), or you can chat with Google’s AI Mode. These AI answers often summarize information from websites, including Reddit discussions, so many people get their answer without clicking any link.
This is called a “zero-click” search. It’s convenient for users, but it means fewer visitors for the websites that created the information.
What Reddit is doing
- Login walls: Reddit will test making some content available only to logged-in users in selected countries outside the US. Logged-in users bring in more than 80% of Reddit’s money.
- Fighting scraping: logins make it harder for AI companies to copy Reddit’s content without paying.
- Data deals: Reddit already licenses its data to Google and OpenAI.
Why this matters for every website
If Reddit, one of the most-visited sites on the internet, is losing Google traffic, smaller websites are even more exposed. News sites, blogs, recipe sites and how-to sites all depend heavily on Google search.
The old deal was simple: websites create content, Google sends visitors. AI search is quietly rewriting that deal.
7 ways website owners can adapt
- Build direct audiences: email newsletters, social media pages and communities you control.
- Write things AI can’t easily summarize: original reporting, personal experience, real testing, opinions and your own photos.
- Answer questions clearly: well-structured articles with clear headings and FAQs are more likely to be cited in AI answers, which can still bring some clicks and brand awareness.
- Use other search engines too: submit your site to Bing Webmaster Tools, which also powers other AI tools.
- Focus on fresh news: breaking news still drives clicks, because AI summaries lag behind.
- Diversify traffic: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google Discover can all send visitors.
- Track your numbers: watch Google Search Console for changes in clicks versus impressions.
What does Google say?
Google has generally argued that AI features help people discover more of the web and that clicks from AI results are “higher quality.” But many publishers, and now Reddit, say their numbers tell a different story.
Related: why Google’s search growth is slowing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google AI Mode reduce website traffic?
Many websites say yes. Reddit says its Google referrals fell by over a million visits a week in October, and blamed AI Overviews and AI Mode.
What is Google AI Mode?
A chat-style search mode where Google’s AI answers your questions directly, using information from the web, instead of mainly showing a list of links.
Is Reddit putting content behind a login?
Reddit plans to test a logged-in-only experience in some markets outside the US.
How can small websites survive AI search?
By building direct audiences (email, social), publishing original and experience-based content, and getting traffic from more than one source.
